Car-coupling



(No Model.)

B. W. KNAPP I GAR COUPLING.

No. 424,067. PatentedMar. 25, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR W. KNAPP, OF GALESBURG, MICHIGAN.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,067, dated March 25, 1890.

Application filed September 6, 1888. Renewed February 3, 1890. Serial No. 338,977. (No model.)

To a. whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR W. KNAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galesburg, county of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of carcouplers in which vertically-playing drawbars having hooks or prongs at the end and holes to receive said prongs are employed; and it has for its object the below described and claimed improvements.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation with parts broken away, showing the cars coupled; Fig. 2, a rear elevation of one 'car with its part of the coupler attached; and Fig. 3 is a plan of one of the coupling-hooks and draw-bar broken.

Referring to the letters of reference marked on the drawings, B D are draw-bar hooks pivoted at 0, so as to rise and fall.

0 is a stirrup attached to the under side of the cars A to hold the draw-bar hooks from falling below a horizontal plane. The free ends of the draw-bars B D project downward and forward at an oblique angle, presenting flat downwardly-slanting surfaces D. From the under side of the oblique ends the prongs slant downward and rearward. The vertical holes back of said oblique ends are funnelshaped or flaring at the top. When the cars come together, the hook E of one bar will strike the incline D of the other bar and traverse up the same and over and drop into the hole P of the under bar, Fig. 1. Should the cars become derailed, the hooks will readily fall out of the holes P, and should one car tip over the hook will be rocked out of the hole, owing to the flared top of said hole, thus not endangering so many cars as would be the case if the couplings did not uncouple under like circumstances. Back of the holes P is an upwardly-extending'bail, to which bails the chains I I are attached. The upper end of these chains are attached to the end of the pivoted levers H H. These levers are for raising the draw-bar hooks to uncouple the cars. These levers are operated from the sides of the car and catch under the projection K when desiring to hold up the hooks.

At L is a vertical rod having sliding bearings in loop M and provided at the top with a ring N. Chain 1 is attached to the bail F and to the end of the rod L. This rod is for raising the draw-bar hooks when the operator is on the top of the car.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is In a car-coupling employing vertically-playing draw-bars provided with prongs or hooks and holes to receive said prongs, the drawbars having their free ends projecting downward and forward at an oblique angle, the vertical holes just back of said ends being funnel-shaped or flaring at the top for the purpose stated, and prongs projecting downward and rearward from said oblique ends, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR W. KNAPP.

Witnesses:

H. E. TRUMBLE, J OHN C. PERKINS. 

